Suggestions for high efficiency speakers?


I attended the Capital Audiofest and thought the Audio Note room had the best sound to my ears. Another attendee from Florida had a copy of "A Night in Tunisia" and it sounded like you were sitting in Art Blakey's chair with his drums right there in front of you. I want that palpability, that "you are there" sound I think low watt amps and high efficiency speakers deliver better than any other combination.

 

A couple years ago I heard the DeVore 96s at the same show and loved their sound, anyone know of other speakers that give the same sensations?

 

My system is a SOTA Sapphire w Sumiko MMT and Zu-modified Denon 103 into an Art Audio Vinyl One phono pre into a Lamm LL2 Deluxe pre into an Art Audio Jota SET power amp and into Joseph RM25 sigs.

fosolitude

I am also a fan of field coil drivers.  I've heard a number of Western Electric cone and compression field coil drivers, G.I.P. Laboratory clones of Western Electric field coil drivers and an outrageous improved version of the Western Electric 597 compression tweeter (the G.I.P. souped up version costs something like $60k a pair), Classic Audio speakers with field coil drivers, Voxativ drivers, Lowther field coil full range drivers, Supravox woofers, Goodman woofers, Feastrix full range drivers, and a couple of other full range drivers that I don't know who made them.  I particularly like both the orginal and clones of Western Electric 597 tweeters and the 555 midrange compression driver.  I also love the Goodman field coil woofer.  But, what I really would love to have the most is the Jensen/ERPI M10 fullrange driver (13" driver) with a 597 tweeter on top--that is sort of my dream system. 

Also, while I do like quite a few field coil drivers, I also like many competing permanent magnet drivers.  I think that the permanent magnet version of the Western Electric 555 compression driver is at least as good (but a whole lot rarer and more expensive) and my very favorite midrange compression driver is the Western Electric 713b, which is a permanent magnet driver.  

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I heard that rumor too.  That would be sort of in keeping with Audio Note having developed a field coil phono cartridge.  I like the idea of Audio Note improving on the dynamics and "speed" of their woofer/midrange driver--something I would expect with a field coil magnetic structure.  I hope they can handle any issue with heat from the magnet in a smallish box, and avoid any issue with the owner/user having to adjust voltage to optimize the sound.  Audio Note appears to make it a priority to keep operation of its gear simple and easy (e.g., they employ cathode biasing so that bias doesn't have to be adjusted by the owner).

@atmasphere --

"You can look at this as theory or fact; works the same regardless ..."

That's dangerously arrogant. You're not acknowledging the alternative, which is conspicuous in itself, and I doubt you've had a pair of symmetrically-to-the-mains placed horn subs or other efficient, large 6th order bandpass ditto (from a point of other design criteria) in your home setup augmenting your CAL's to counter your rigid claim. That is: fact, apart from the scientific approach (and business venture) you're readily advocating, is actually hearing the stuff up close to challenge your theory. Smoothness in bass response is an important boon, but it's not all their is to excellent bass reproduction and overall integration. I work from an (active) outset where high-passing the mains, preferably no lower than ~80Hz, is an important trait in securing the best integration with the subs while adding headroom and cleanliness in reproduction from the mains. It's also why symmetry of placement as outlined is important.

Again, different ways to skin you cat. 

That's dangerously arrogant. You're not acknowledging the alternative, which is conspicuous in itself, and I doubt you've had a pair of symmetrically-to-the-mains placed horn subs or other efficient, large 6th order bandpass ditto (from a point of other design criteria) in your home setup augmenting your CAL's to counter your rigid claim.

Its just physics, physiology and its not my theory- its that of Dr. Earl Geddes IIRC. I'm not certain of what you are trying to say in parenthesis. If you are careful with placement, you can get good bass at the listening position with only two subs. In my case, having done many installations at shows and the like over the last three decades, I've found the DBA to be a nice solution for a vexing problem of getting the bass to play properly where the listeners will be sitting.

I recommend the Swarm becuase its designed to be as innocuous as possible. Its also reasonably priced. I've no financial association.

Having recorded a number of LPs, some of which I mastered myself, its nice to be able to compare to my own expericence of having been there when the recording was made. If you can better that reproduction as you seem to be claiming, I'd love to hear it.